20 Seconds of Courage

Hey everyone!

This week was pretty good, and went fast. Its now week 5 and only like a month before I'm in Thailand! Which is good because its getting super freezing here in Utah. 

Emailing is hard because I always forget things, it would just be so much easier to call hahah

Speaking of calling, that was crazy that I got to talk to you guys for a minute about my blood type, sadly there was no field trip off MTC campus to figure it out, they just did it here. 

Thanks mom, grandma and everyone for your dear elders! I love hearing what you are up to and reading inspiring thoughts. You guys are doing so many awesome things and being so kind to others I love it. It's inspiring. Also mom and dad i got your letter in the mail-and i loved the "Christmas card" and Dad's letters. I love Dad's letters and read them often. And mom that hair stuff is AWESOME. Thanks. 

I forgot to update you all on my 4 square game last week, so here's the update:  I've been playing every gym time for the last 15 minutes, and I am getting to be pretty good. Not gunna lie. If 4 square was an Olympic sport, they'd probably put me as the back up for the team... I'm not good enough to be on the team...yet. But I have 4 more weeks. I heard an Elder say when I went in the game, "Watch out for this girl she's good." And then I slammed the ball at his feet and got him out haha

Anyways, this week we also put up a sweet Canadian flag grandma sent in the "Canadian corner" of the classroom where me Elder Darby, and Sis Burbank sit. Everyone is pretty impressed haha

Thai is coming along, we started learning the script this week and man that is hard. You literally need to know like 10 things about each letter to read... and there is 87 letters or so. But its getting better. I'm sure I'll be a pro soon. I also learned this week that the Thai word for practice (Fxg) sounds exactly like a swear word. Everyone in my district laughed about that one for a while. 

This week we also started this tape throwing competition that we do at the end of each day, you basically just try and throw the roll of tape onto the wall with coat hooks on it. It probably sounds lame but its really hard, and sometimes (actually all the time) you have to get creative in the MTC to entertain yourself. 

For Halloween in the MTC it was basically the same as any other day. I just ate a TON of candy and krispy kremes and Elder Webb and Darby wore some fake beards. SO good times. 

This week as one of the Sister Training leaders, Sister Burbank and I really tried to help this Sister missionary that was struggling with some things, and really wanting to go home. We did our best, but in the end she went home, and that was really sad. She may come back in like 6 months tho! 

Each day at the end of the day we meet with all the sisters in the Zone, and do "Zone Prayer" for a few minutes. I thought of a pretty fun question thing to do each night, where we ask one sister a funny question, she answers, and the next night she has to think of a question to ask someone else. They all loved it. 

Okay, I learned a ton this week, but a couple of things that really stuck out to me were:

1. Its all so simple: The gospel is pretty simple if you think about it. I think sometimes people (and I've been guilty of this) try and make it seem so complicated, and it's really not. I was reading in 2 Nephi 25:23 and it says, "For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." I loved this scripture, to me it just reminds me thatthis is what the gospel is all about.It's the only reason for church, and the only reason for the book of Mormon. To help people come unto Christ and believe in him! Everything else will follow. 

2. I had an experience this week where I was told I am kinda quiet in class sometimes. Probably due to the fact that I wake up at 630, but none the less it really made me think. I feel like sometimes I am scared to participate or share at the risk of sounding dumb, but I prayed and then opened up to 2 Nephi 7:7. And it definitely is now my favorite scripture. It says, "For the Lord God will help me, therefore shall I not be confounded. Therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed." Isn't that the best scripture ever? In life sometimes it just takes the courage and determination to try, and to "set your face like a flint" If you do this God will help you. I took these words to heart and really tried to share as much as i could in class, and I even bore my testimony in Sacrament. It was amazing the results after too.People even came up to me multiple times thanking me for things I had said. As my mom (at least I think it was my mom) says, "Sometimes it just takes 20 seconds of courage, for amazing results." This is true, and i just want to challenge everyone to try a little harder, to take a little more courage with something in your life that scares you. I know that if you do, and if you ask God for help, he will help you. That doesn't mean it still won't be hard, but I promise that each time you do it,in every way, it'll get better. 

Well that's all for now, I love and miss you all!! I pray and think about each and every one of you daily.

Peace out Girl Scouts till next week.

Love,

Sister Remington